Province Canterbury Cathedral Portsmouth Cathedral | Diocese Portsmouth Formation 1927 | |
The Bishop of Portsmouth is the Ordinary of the Church of England Diocese of Portsmouth in the Province of Canterbury.
The diocese covers south-east Hampshire and the Isle of Wight and has its see in the City of Portsmouth, where the seat is located at the Cathedral Church of Saint Thomas of Canterbury which was elevated to cathedral status in 1927.
The office of bishop was created in 1927 when the new diocese was formed from part of the Diocese of Winchester. The current bishop is the Right Reverend Christopher Foster, the 9th Bishop of Portsmouth, who signs + Christopher Portsmouth. Previously Suffragan Bishop of Hertford, his nomination as Bishop of Portsmouth was announced by Downing Street on 9 February 2010. He was installed and enthroned in a service at Portsmouth Cathedral on 18 September 2010.
The bishop's residence is Bishopsgrove, Fareham, Hampshire, England.